The present invention relates in general to tow racks for motorcycles, and in particular to a motorcycle tow rack for a receiver hitch having a yaw brace.
Tow racks have been provided for towing motorcycles behind motor vehicles, some for use with receiver hitches. These tow racks have included lower arms for supporting one of the wheels of a motorcycle above a ground surface, as the other wheel of the motorcycle is in rolling contact with the ground surface. Typically, the front wheel of the motorcycle is supported on the lower arms, and the rear wheel is in contact with the ground. While suitable for towing at lower speeds, problems have been encountered with gearing and bearings when motorcycles have been towed at highway speeds with rear wheels rolling on the ground. Tie down members have been used to secure the handlebars of towed motorcycles to the frame of the motor vehicle used for towing. Yet, problems have also been encountered with proper tracking of towed motorcycles behind the tow vehicles due to angular movement of the motorcycle frame relative to the front wheel of the motorcycle.
A motorcycle tow rack is provided having two lower arms which provide a cradle for receiving one of the wheels of a motorcycle. Preferably, the rear wheel of the motorcycle is secured on the two lower arms and the front wheel is in rolling engagement with the ground. The tow rack has a receiver post which is secured in a receiver hitch mounted to the tow vehicle. The rearward end of the receiver post has a pivot post which is rigidly secured thereto and which extends vertically upwards, at a right angle to the receiver post. The tow rack includes a rack frame which is pivotally secured to the pivot post for pivoting around a vertically disposed axis of the pivot post. The rack frame includes a vertically extending mast, which extends upward from a lower portion of the rack frame. The two lower arms are pivotally secured to the rack frame for pivoting around a horizontally disposed axis to lift rearward ends of the two lower arms upward, to raise the rear wheel of the motorcycle upwards from the ground for towing. A jack is disposed between the two lower arms and the vertically extending mast for lifting the rearward ends of the two lower arms upwards. The two lower arms pivot with the tow rack frame and the vertically extending mast relative to the vertical axis pivot post.
Two clamp plates and two clamp arms are provided for securing the forwardly disposed wheel of the motorcycle to the two lower arms defining the cradle. The clamp plates are mounted to a linkage which extends between the two lower arms, on opposite sides of the forwardly disposed wheel of the motorcycle. The two clamp arms are moveably secured to the two lower arms on opposite sides of the forwardly disposed motorcycle wheel for clamping lowermost portions of opposite sides of the front wheel of the motorcycle. The two clamp arms are vertically spaced apart from the two clamp plates, beneath the two clamp plates. A pivot plate is pivotally mounted to the rearward ends of the two lower arms for abutting the rearwardly disposed side of the forwardly disposed motorcycle wheel. Two stabilizer bars have forward ends which are pivotally secured to the receiver hitch frame and which are slidably secured to the tow rack frame. Rearward ends of the two stabilizer bars are secured to tie down members which extend from the two stabilizer bars to the motorcycle frame. Two yaw braces extend between the handlebars and the frame of the motorcycle to secure the handlebars in fixed relation to the frame.